The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, a rebate processing apparatus, an information processing method, a rebate processing method, and a rebate processing system. The present technology more specifically relates to an information processing apparatus, a rebate processing apparatus, an information processing method, a rebate processing method, and a rebate processing system with which various benefits are rebated in accordance with electric power consumption.
Environmental problems such as global warming and depletion of resources and energy are challenges shared by all of mankind. For reduction of an amount of carbon dioxide that is said to be a cause of a warmer climate, more countries and local authorities impose a certain duty for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emission in business activities by way of regulations or the like. In business enterprises, for example, the following measures and policies are expected to be implemented in which power saving of a large scale facility such as a factory is advanced, and also electric power consumption in its own company is covered by power generation based on renewable energy from which carbon dioxide is not emitted in power generation processes to promote the reduction of carbon dioxide amount.
In this manner, regarding the energy consumption in an industrial sector, the reduction of carbon dioxide amount is gradually progressed through obligations by way of laws. On the other hand, it is difficult to make it obligatory by way of laws to reduce the energy consumption in a household sector which accounts for approximately one third of the whole energy consumption. Therefore, some measures are demanded to promote the efficient energy usage.
In view of the above, a collection method for fuel bills of fuel cells and an imposition method for upkeep costs of the fuel cells are proposed which are related to the collection of a charge for fuels and a refund of a payment for the electric power sold to an electric supply company in a case where the fuel cells are installed for a customer and a part of the electric power generated by the fuel cells is sold to the electric supply company (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-48536).